Fiachra Ó Suilleabháin is a Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor in the School of Applied Social Studies, University College Cork. A professionally qualified, CORU registered Social Worker since 2002, he teaches modules on gender and sexualities, LGBT+ matters, social services and welfare practice, child sexual abuse, child protection and welfare, and professional practice at undergraduate and graduate levels across the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences.

Fiachra is the Programme Director of the multi-disciplinary Master of Social Work Team and Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work Studies programmes, delivering professionally-accredited, two-year taught (NFQ?QQI Level-9) postgraduate programmes to students who wish to become social workers. He has played a pivotal role in the consortium-led development of the new level-9 Apprenticeship in Social Work in Ireland. In these specific programmes, Fiachra teaches and mentors students’ practice skills and lectures on critical and radical social work, social work approaches, research methods and research ethics for practitioners, investigative interviewing, child protection and welfare, probation-based social work, queer social work, ecological justice, sustainability and eco-social practices, and professional practice. Fiachra's was awarded UCC President's Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2018.

Fiachra’s doctoral degree examined for the first time the parenting experiences of gay men in Ireland. In addition to publications, he has delivered papers and seminars at conferences both nationally and internationally regarding child sexual abuse, LGBT+ issues and social work practice.  

Fiachra's research has been shortlisted in 2019 and 2021 for the national Education Awards. His scholarly outputs have been focused in three areas of engaged social work and social policy research:

Fiachra has extensive practice experience. He was the manager of a regional multi-disciplinary child sexual abuse assessment unit within the Child and Family Agency (TUSLA) from 2009 to 2017. Prior to that he worked in the same agency as a Principal Social Worker and as Basic Grade Social Worker. He also has professional knowledge of child protection and fostering social work practice. Fiachra has provided a range of continuous professional development training to social workers, social care leaders, medical doctors, nurses, teachers and foster-carers about child sexual abuse, direct work with children and managing children with sexualised behaviour problems, and talking with children and young people about sensitive matters. He was a member of the TUSLA Cork Foster Care Committee in Cork from September 2010 to December 2016. 

Fiachra is a member of a number of practice advisory boards and action learning groups for social work organisations (including the All-Employers' Forum for Social Work, SWEPT, Tusla's Practice Education Development Working Group). He also provides social work consultancy to practitioners and is/has been:

A member of the Board of the Irish Association of Social Workers;

A member of the Board of EPIC (Empowering Children in Care);

A member of the Board of the Gay Project;

The Chairperson of the Board of St Patrick's Infant School, Gardiners' Hill Cork;

The Hon. Treasurer of UCC's LGBT+ Staff Network.

Chairperson of the Board of Douglas Credit Union Ltd.

My research interests have centred on sexual behaviours, LGBTQIA+ issues, genders and sexualities, child protection and welfare, alternative care, investigative interviewing practices, online/e-social work as well as learning, teaching and access to higher education in Ireland.

I welcome the opportunity to collaborate on research with academics, researchers, community organisations and students (including graduate and doctoral research supervision).

Overall, I use a range of teaching methods to engage students in learning rather than being overly dependent on one method. I use lectures, role-plays, case-studies, practice experiences, media studies, group discussions, peer support and visual aids as learning tools in the classroom.

Bachelor of Social Science                          

SS3030            Fieldwork Placement (with Dr. Eileen Hogan)

SS3021            Sexuality and Society (with Prof Máire Leane and Aoife Price)

SS3010            Social Science and Social Work 

Bachelor of Social Work                                

 

Higher Diploma in Social Policy  (online)

SS5011            Social Science and Social Work (with SS3010)  

Master of Social Work                              

SS6112            Practice Skills and Fieldwork Placement I (with MSW team)

SS6112            Practice Skills and Fieldwork Placement II (Lectures)

SS6106            Applied Social Research (with Dr. Eleanor Bantry-White & Dr. Kenneth Burns) 

SS6200            Social Work Approaches - Sustainability, Environmental and Social Justice Issues in Professional Practice (with Dr Catherine Forde and Mary Hurley

SS6207            Practice Skills and Fieldwork Placement II (with MSW team)

SS6207            Practice Skills and Fieldwork Placement II (Workshop Week with Olwen Halvey)

SS6313            Contemporary Social Policy Issues (8% credit)

SS7003            Research Methods and Skills 1: Qualitative (8% credit)

SS7008            Designing for Research and Evaluation (8% credit)